Business Across Cultures: To Be or To Do?

Is it necessary to accomplish great things to feel your life has been
worthwhile? Is it enough just to be content with one's place in the natural
order of the universe? These questions address the issue of what a culture
considers the proper activity of Mankind.

Anthropologists make
a distinction between people who are “doing,” and people who are “being.”
Most expatriates from Western cultures living in Indonesia are “doers.”
This means they hold the belief that if people work hard they will be
rewarded, looking to tomorrow for the rewards worked for today.

Western proverbs like “Idle hands are the devil's workplace,” “No
rest for the weary,” and “Keep your nose to the grindstone” refer to the
ethic of hard work found in many western cultures.

In a western culture, an idle employee might hear his manager tell
him, “If you can't find something to do yourself, I will find something
for you.” With the implied threat that what your manager finds for you
to do will not be as pleasant as what you could find yourself.

People who are “doers” tend not only to work hard but to play hard
also. This means that leisure time may be filled with activities to keep
the person from becoming bored, boredom considered something to be avoided
at all cost.

Western managers are often perceived by Indonesians as always on the
go, never stopping to talk or to build relationships. This can also be
interpreted as an indifference or even dislike on the part of the foreign
professional toward his or her Indonesian co-workers.

This ”doing,” action-oriented mentality is generally not found in
traditional Indonesian business culture. In Indonesia, there is a belief
that there is a natural order to the universe. Man need not strive for
what is not destined to be; one should be content with one's place in
the natural order.

This translates into an attitude in the office that some things are
beyond human control and that there may not be anything that one can or
should do about a particular situation. If a production line shuts down
because of poor maintenance, if a deadline is missed, or a meeting isn't
scheduled, the common Indonesian attitude is one of acceptance. There
is nothing that can be done about the situation so there is no reason
to worry about it.

In the West this may be seen as a sign of incompetence on the part
of the employee responsible for the situation. However, remember that
in Indonesia incompetence alone is not a valid reason to dismiss an employee.

The work relationship in Indonesia is paternal. The Bapak, the father,
looks out for the welfare of the employees in return for loyalty. The
maintenance of the harmony in the office will normally take precedence
over work performance.

Indonesian managers should understand that productivity, efficiency
and goal setting are usually top priorities for Western managers. Forming
an effective, third “Corporate Culture” which draws from the best of Western
and Indonesian business cultures requires that the professionals on both
sides find some common ground with which to work. Indonesian managers
will have to understand cause and effect relationships, and that productivity
can be improved through diligence, planning, and hard work.

For the expatriate manager, this means taking the time to show an
interest in your Indonesian co-workers and in the Indonesian culture in
general. Western business culture is often cold and impersonal with a
“time is money” attitude. Feelings on the part of the foreign professional
that something is “nothing personal, only business,” will not be understood
in Indonesia. Here, all business relationships are personal relationships
which one must take time to build and nurture.

This article was generously contributed by George B. Whitfield, III when he was a Technical Advisor with Executive
Orientation Services.